I booked a table 8 weeks in advance, but you can actually book a lot earlier than that, I just like to plan things in advance if I can..

Ten facts you didn't know about The Shard...

The ShardIt dominates London’s skyline, and any building as tall as The Shard is bound to be full of facts, trivia and record-breaking statistics. Did you know…?

1. It’s actually the tallest building in Western Europe

The Shard, at 306 metres tall, briefly held the top spot for the whole of Europe before two buildings in Moscow overtook it within a year!2. Six women climbed to the top of the building’s exterior in July 2013

The Shard was the setting for a Greenpeace protest in July 2013, aiming to draw attention to oil company Shell’s plans to drill for oil in the Arctic.3. Construction workers found a fox near the top

The fox, nicknamed Romeo by staff, was found on the 72nd storey and is believed to have survived on food left by construction workers.4. The Shard is made up of 11,000 glass panels on the exterior

The building is named as it is modelled on a shard of glass, and its 11,000 panels have a total area of 56,000 square metres.5. It hosts what might just be the ultimate penthouse

The enormous apartment is 224m high, covers two floors, has been compared in size to a seven-bedroom mansion and has a reported price tag of £50 million (US $77 million).6. Diners with a head for heights can choose from three restaurants

On floors 31 – 33, diners have the choice of the New York grill-inspired menu of Oblix, the northern Chinese cuisine of Hutong and the contemporary British fare of Aqua Shard.7. You can enjoy the view when in the restroom, 244m above London

If you’ve ever wanted to answer a call of nature while enjoying a commanding aerial view of the City of London through floor-to-ceiling windows, then The View from The Shard is the visitor attraction for you.8. The viewing platform is actually three floors

The viewing area is on floors 68, 69 and 72. Floor 68 is home to Cloudscape, a feature about the different types of clouds over London. Floor 69 hosts interactive telescopes, while floor 72 is open to the elements.9. The average lift speed is 6 metres per second

Though the lifts are very smooth and entertain passengers with video ceiling panels, bring some chewing gum in case your ears pop!

So when we left the tube station and this caught our eye..

Oh my giddy..

What an amazing building..

We had a reservation for the Hutong...

Situated on level 33, Hutong serves the fascinating and diverse cuisines of Northern China and is based on the much-loved restaurant of the same name in Hong Kong.

Hutong's cuisine takes its inspiration from the dishes served in the imperial palaces of what was then Peking. Based on the “Lu school” cuisine of Shandong Province, the menu artfully captures the subtlety and surprises of Northern Chinese cooking.

A cocktail selection inspired by ingredients used in traditional Chinese medicine, and a stunning traditional Chinese interior with red lanterns and beautiful hand-carved wooden ‘Moon Gates’, offers London diners a new destination restaurant with panoramic views over the capital's skyline....

The entrance to the Hutong is round the side of The Shard, you enter the reception area and pointed in the direction of the lift..

Only a couple of buttons and only one floor option, that being Floor 33...

As you ascend in what seems like a few seconds, your ears actually pop..

Once inside it does take your breath away..

Time for a cocktail, they are not exactly cheap..but nothing in The Shard is, but I think that at £30.00 for two Under the Sea Prosecco, Lychee liquor is reasonable, but I joked with Louise to sip it..

If you are scared of heights, you can request a table away from the window, I am terrified of heights, but it felt quite comfortable if I am being honest..

Confession time, I am not the best chopstick user, Louise is fine though..I didn't want to suffer the shame of asking for a fork, so I had better get used to using them..and fast..

First course..Beef and Ginger and Scallops

You see, Louise is still sipping her drink, I was so slow in sipping mine, she had mine later on as well...

I said Sip...

The views over London as we wait for the main courses..

Main courses..Eel with Kelp and seaweed, beef with strips steamed root vegetable..

The Shard is not the cheapest place to eat in London, but for quality and a very pleasant dining experience with stunning views, its perfect...

The shock came when I actually asked for the bill..

We had been dining for around 2.5 hours in the most stunning locations, we had eaten the most amazing food and consumed cocktails to die for..£151.32 for everything..and that for London in The Shard is inexpensive..

Superb service, I loved chatting with the Manager..

Just to lower the tone a bit..superb views from the restrooms..

I hope people enjoyed our experience of The Shard, the intention of it is to show people who have not been or is planning a visit..